The brown eyed, bushy haired girl was leaning against the corridor wall as she waited for her best friend to finish speaking with her favourite professor. While waiting, she couldn't help but ponder the changes in her life over the last few months, hell the last few years and realised that 'best friend' no longer covered what he meant to her – quite simply he was the most important person in her life.
She had finally admitted to herself that she loved him after their escape on Buckbeak. All her life she had been terrified of heights but when Harry held out his hand and looked at her, pleading with those gorgeous green eyes, she didn't hesitate. Riding behind him, while holding on tight of course, was the greatest thrill of her life so far and an instant cure for her phobia. So much so that they now repeated the experience, though on his Firebolt under the pretence of helping her learn to fly as part exchange for her input into his training for the tournament.
The Tri-Wizard tournament left her in a bit of a quandary; she couldn't make her mind up whether she hated it or loved it!
On the hate side the whole school, Merlin the whole country thanks to that bitch Rita Skeeter, thought that he had cheated his way into the tournament and was a poor lost attention-seeking child. Even his so-called best mate, Ronald Bilius Weasley didn't believe him and worse, wouldn't even talk to him; Hermione was sure that under Bilius in the dictionary it would say: jealous, insensitive, insecure, childish GIT!
Then there were the tasks themselves.
When she hugged him before he had to go and face a dragon, yes a bloody dragon - it took all of her willpower to let him go. Watching the seemingly tiny figure on his broom, dodging the flames, teeth and spiked tail of that monster gave her nightmares. It was even worse after the task when she flew back into his arms and, drawing on all her Gryffindor courage, was set to finally kiss her best friend when Bilius shows up.
He arrived with some mumbled half hearted apology and Harry, being Harry forgave him, she was left standing there with her arm still round Harry and trying to smile, while running through her head were some of the worst curses and hexes she knew.
Imagining what they would do to the red haired prat was the only way to maintain the phoney smile.
On the good side of the tournament it had brought Harry and her closer than they had ever been. One look at his face when his name was drawn from that flaming goblet and she knew he hadn't entered, she told him so before he left the hall to try and resolve the situation. When she found out later they were forcing him to compete she was livid, but volunteered to help with his training and anything else required.
With no one else speaking to Harry they spent all their time together and she was in Heaven. Harry also had a whole new, more mature attitude to studies, training and life in general which made her love him even more. The hours the spent together studying and training were some of the happiest she'd spent at Hogwarts.
When Harry forgave the prat, she had expected him to go back to goofing off with Ron and for her to be relegated back to her role of nagging big sister and homework helper. To her amazement Harry had continued their training and study schedule though he did offer Ron the chance to join them.
She had mixed emotions regarding this confrontation as Harry continuing with their schedule pleased her more than he knew, while Ron's quite verbal refusal that had finished her friendship with him there and then:
Flashback
Harry and Hermione walked through the portrait hole and were immediately pounced on by Ron
"Hi you two, hey Harry fancy a game of chess? Hermione have you done that potions essay for Snape yet?"
Harry looked at Hermione and seeing the trepidation in her eyes replied, "sorry Ron, we're just collecting some books before heading down to the library to do some studying, though you're welcome to join us mate."
A flabbergasted Ron was almost lost for words, though did manage to choke out, "eh, no I think I'll give it a miss and we can have that game after dinner."
Still looking at Hermione, "out of luck again mate, we're going to be working on my egg for the next task." Harry was rewarded with a smile that lit up her full face.
Ron just got louder, "but that's months away – you've got plenty of time! Hell mate, you've been spending too much time with Hermione. You're even beginning to sound like her. A good game of chess is just what you need to get your mind of your troubles, not spending time in the library with our resident bookworm here."
By this time quite a few people were paying attention to the ongoing troubles of the Gryffindor trio. Harry watched as the smile was replaced by a look of hurt and embarrassment on Hermione's face, which seemed to ignite a cold rage in his soul. When he looked round at Ron, his green eyes seemed to blaze with fire while power radiated off him, demanding the attention of everyone in the common room. Suddenly, the Harry Potter that could out fly a dragon, slay a basilisk and defeat Voldemort THREE times had made an appearance.
The reactions of the watching students seemed to be mainly gender driven, with the wizards backing away while the witches seemed like moths to a flame. Ginny Weasley appeared about ready to pass out with a look of utter bliss on her face. When Harry put his arm around Hermione's waist and pulled her to him, the power seemed to radiate of them both and was now illuminating the whole common room.
Ron was totally oblivious to the amount of power being displayed, but when Harry put his arm round Hermione there was a Weasley explosion.
" Bloody hell Harry, surely …."
He never got any further as Harry held his hand up and Ron was instantly silenced. Harry spoke in a voice that was barely above a whisper but could easily be heard by everyone in the common room, it chilled their blood. "Ron, choose your next words very carefully as I'm through making allowances for you – and everyone else! Last week I was a cheat who was out for money, glory and fame, no one wanted to speak to me. Now everyone wants to be my friend again, well you tell me what's changed because I'm the same person I was last week."
He looked at Hermione, "if it wasn't for the friendship and help of Hermione I probably wouldn't be here this week, at best I'd still be in the infirmary. So if you think I'm channelling my best friend then that's the biggest compliment anyone could ever pay me."
Hermione was positively glowing and it had nothing to do with the power they were both now radiating, her Harry (her Harry?) yes, her Harry had defended her against Ron in front of the whole of Gryffindor.
But Harry wasn't finished yet, "Oh, as to your second question, of course we've got our potions essays done. I would suggest that you forgo the chess and get yours finished, assuming you've started, because we have a very full schedule and bailing Ronald Weasley out of his homework mess isn't on it."
It is a very rare occasion when all the students of Gryffindor house agree on something, they were all sure that if Harry had looked and spoken to them like that, new underwear would have been required. Ron was just too stupid to realise how much trouble he was in and no one was going to mess with Harry to tell the prat. There was also one hundred percent agreement amongst the witches that Harry's look when he turned to Hermione to speak would have melted any of their hearts.
"Anything you want to add to that Hermione?" Harry asked.
Hermione tried to be stern but nothing could disguise how happy she was, "No Harry, I think you covered it quite well. OK, so everyone knows exactly where we stand now, scenes like this one should be avoided in the future."
As they walked towards the stairs, with Harry's arm still around her waist, not a sound was heard.
End of Flashack